The golden jubilee year of Manipuri Cinema has proven to be a turning point for Manipuri Cinema as Manipur Pavilion is being installed and featured for the first time at Film Bazaar, South Asia’s largest film networking platform held alongside the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

The 53^rd IFFI was kicked off on Sunday with an exuberant opening ceremony and subsequently, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur also inaugurated the Film Bazaar 2022 on Monday.

At the Manipur Pavilion, Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS) secretary Sunzu Bachaspatimayum, Film Forum Manipur Chairman Laimayum Surjakant, DIPR Manipur staff and functionaries of Cine Artistes and Technicians Association (CATA) are giving a detailed look at how filmmakers or financers from outside the state and abroad must choose Manipur as their next film destination.

Notably, many filmmakers from cities like Mumbai have shown keen interest to collaborate with Manipur and making Manipur their next shooting location.

In 2019 also on the initiative of CATA, a Manipur stall was displayed. It is because of the joint effort of MSFDS, CATA, and IPR Manipur that such a prestigious pavilion is being set up with the support of the Union Ministry. 

It is worth mentioning here that as many as 12 states and at least 3 countries including Russia, France, and Dubai are opening their stalls at the Film Bazaar. Remarkably, Manipur is being given a complimentary stall by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to mark the golden jubilee year. This was initiated by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, when the Director Balkrishna Heisnam wrote to the Film Division, Ministry of I&B highlighting the need for providing a stall to Manipur at zero cost in order to suitably celebrate the 50 Years of Manipuri Cinema.  

MSFDS Secretary Sunzu Bachaspatimayum expressed gratitude to the Ministry for honouring Manipuri Cinema by offering a complimentary stall and featuring a special section at the 53^rd IFFI.

Against the backdrop of the NE states including Manipur pushing for tourism in their respective states, he expressed the desire for the NE states particularly Manipur to understand the potential of filmmaking as a big business for earning revenue and income generation so that the much needed push for promoting films is exerted.

Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Armstrong Pame, who attended the Manipur Pavilion inauguration, said that the Ministry will study the possibility of setting up a regional office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Manipur as proposed by the state government.

Pame also exhorted the Manipur delegates to highlight the film friendly aspects of Manipur to attract potential financers and collaborators.

The Manipur delegates are sensitising the visitors about the potential of getting certain locations for film shooting in Manipur, where skilled manpower like professional cameramen, makeup artists, martial arts artists, etc. are available at a very reasonable rate.    

With Manipur becoming peaceful after decades of insurgency where both central and state governments taking decisive decisions to promote and develop sustainable development models, the film industry could be another sector where Manipur could be an ideal destination not only for domestic film markets but for the international film community as well.

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